


Irresistible

by kooili



Category: Holby City
Genre: F/F, Ring-verse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-26
Updated: 2017-12-26
Packaged: 2019-02-22 03:11:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13158024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kooili/pseuds/kooili
Summary: There’s something about Bernie on a barstool that is impossible to resist.





	Irresistible

“Another?”

The bartender - James - smiles as he slides the empty tumbler aside and stows it under the counter.

She nods and returns the smile. God knows how much longer she'll be here so no point going thirsty. Her stomach growls but she ignores it effortlessly, a skill born of years of practice and discipline working in the field. On nights like this, she’s glad for the familiar surroundings of Albie's. It's almost like a third home after the hospital and, well, home, for the amount of time she's been spending there lately. Her eyes dart towards the doors instinctively as a draft of cold air momentarily dilutes the warmth of the room.

James catches her glance as he sets the fresh drink back onto the coaster in front of her.

“Running late again?”

The corner of her mouth creeps upwards into a tired smile.

“No rest for the wicked and all of that.” She reaches for her bag but pauses instead. “On the tab?”

James is in mid-nod when a creased twenty pound note flutters onto the surface of the bar.

“Don't bother. I'm buying and I'll have the same as well, please.”

Her eyes snap up immediately to meet the owner of the voice and are greeted by a dark shade of hazel not unlike her own. James' eyes dart between them for a moment, almost seeking permission to collect the note.

“Thanks for the offer but I have to settle up soon anyway.”

“In that case,” the voice continue as slender fingers dip forward and lift the note off the wooden surface, “you can buy me a drink instead.”

The blonde pauses, eyes narrowing in confusion under her unruly fringe. She is unaccustomed to being spoken to with such brazen familiarity by, well, a total stranger. James ducks away, the corners of his mouth twitching as he suppresses a smile. He's seen this scenario too many times - occupational hazard – and knows what's coming next.

“Do I know you?”

“You're Bernie Wolfe.”

“Yes, and you are?” Bernie racks her brain to place a name to the face.

“Lucy Cardwell. I started on Keller two weeks ago and I’ve been hoping to meet you.”

“Oh?”

The brunette apparently takes this as a sign that her company is welcomed, mounts the stool next to hers and leans towards Bernie with a dazzling smile stretching across her face.

“Yes. I’ve read the paper you co-wrote on thoracotomy in blunt trauma and it’s brilliant.”

Bernie is unable to stop the flush colouring her cheeks at the compliment. “Most people who’ve read it think it’s controversial and not worth the risk.”

“I’d like to think that I’m not most people.” Lucy leans a little closer, their shoulders almost touching. “And sometimes getting the result you want involves taking some risks.”

She may not have had much experience but even Bernie begins to recognise that tone of voice. She takes a rather large gulp of her whisky as the cogs turn frantically in her mind for an appropriate response that also says ‘sorry, I couldn’t be less interested and by the way I’m also unavailable’ without having to say it out loud. Because, one, she can’t be one hundred percent sure that it’s not all just in her head and two, she’s certain that she would end up fumbling over it like a fool. Surely everyone in Holby knows about her and…

An idea begins to form in her head. It isn’t quite a lightbulb - more of a faint flickering tea light - moment but it’ll have to do. She places her drink down and deliberately brings her left hand up from her lap to rest next to the glass.

“You should come down to AAU if you’re interested in trauma, Lucy. Ms Campbell and I would be more than happy to show you round the trauma bay.”

_There, that should do it._

Bernie is about to give herself a mental pat on the back when she freezes. Lucy’s right hand has somehow found its way next to Bernie’s so that their pinkies are just touching.

“Or we could discuss it over dinner, sometime? By the way, my friends call me Luce.” There is no mistaking the tone this time.

The pinky edges closer to Bernie’s hand. She jerks away just in time, lifting her hand up to her head, apparently urgently needing to tidy the strands of hair that had come loose from behind her ear.  She angles her hand deliberately - surely the lightning would catch the burnished shine of metal encircling the obvious finger?

To Bernie’s great dismay, from the look on her face Luce seems oblivious and is determined to get an answer. Bernie grits her teeth and plunges in.

“Uhm. Right. The thing is, Lucy…”

Before she can continue, a warm familiar timbre interrupts her. Bernie only just manages to stop herself from breathing an audible sigh of relief.

“Bernie?”

_Her saviour._

She turns round, Lucy forgotten, and finds herself staring into the barely hidden amusement that is all over Serena Campbell’s face.

_Her goddess._

Serena places a hand on Bernie’s shoulder before leaning forward to offer a slightly confused Lucy her right hand. The chain around her neck falls forward and a gold band slips down to its lowest point where it dangles gently.

“Serena Campbell.”

Lucy’s eyes dart between the ring on Serena’s chain and the one on Bernie’s hand and her eyes widen as the penny drops. Her face has turned a shade of pale like curdled milk and she seems to have lost the ability to speak. Serena decides to put her out of her misery. She turns to Bernie with a tone of mock chastisement. “Darling, have you been boring the poor girl with shop talk?”

Before Bernie can answer, Lucy stammers, “Ms Campbell... No, not at all… Ms Wolfe was just telling me about the trauma bay…”

Serena’s voice is warm but with an edge that that makes it clear she has neither the patience nor the inclination to take prisoners today.

“You should come down and visit once you’re settled into Keller. I’m sure Sacha could arrange for you to spend a few shifts with us.”

Lucy’s face turns a shade paler - Bernie hadn't thought it was possible for skin to be that colour outside the morgue - as she stumbles off her stool.

“Well, uhmm... it was lovely meeting the both of you. Must dash...”

Serena barely manages to hold back her laughter long enough for the door to swing shut behind the scampering figure of the young woman. She howls loudly enough that James looks up and joins in with a muffled snort.

“It’s not funny. What kept you anyway?” Bernie grumps.

“I had to finish up the last of the paperwork before meeting with Henrik tomorrow. Besides, it’s only been been an hour and I thought it would be safe to leave you unsupervised for just that long.” Her voice dissolves into deep chuckle as she shakes her head. “Oh sweetheart, how do you get yourself into situations like this?”

“I didn’t do it deliberately. I thought that this,” she lifts her left hand and wriggles her ring finger in front of her wife’s face, “would speak for itself.”

Serena gathers the fingers of the hand and pulls them close enough to place a kiss on the knuckle above the ring.

“You do know that some women find it a turn on to flirt with someone who’s already...” she plants another kiss on the back of the hand, “...unavailable.” She turns the hand over and brushes her lips against the soft skin of Bernie’s palm. “And devastatingly gorgeous like you.”

Bernie shivers as the words transform the kisses into a familiar thrum just beneath her chest.

“Is that why you keep yours around your neck?” she murmurs as she leans in for a kiss. It’s impossible to be this close to Serena without doing something about it.

Serena’s eyes sparkle as she answers just before she is rendered speechless by Bernie’s kiss. “With my natural allure? I’d never get any work done otherwise...”

 

[Serena's new chain](https://tinyurl.com/serenanewchain)

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by my wife’s obsessive viewing of the winter trailer and exclamations of ‘is that a ring on her new chain???!’  
> 


End file.
